The Path Less Traveled
by AddictedToHarryPotter
Summary: What were Draco and the Death Eaters doing before they went up to the Astronomy Tower? What was Draco thinking that night? How did Lucius respond when he learned that his son couldn't kill Dumbledore? And how did the Dark Lord respond to that?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: this is my first attempt at a Dark fic starring Draco. I don't know how good it is. Read and Review!**

**Disclaimer: Most unfortunately, Draco doesn't belong to me. Neither do any of the characters.**

_For Professor Casanova, who taught me a lot and gave me a reason to be glad I live in America. For Professor Lils, who's always there for me. And for Raeya and everyone else at Hogwarts United. Thanks so much!_

Chapter One: The Murder

Draco stood in front of an old wooden cabinet. He was in the Room of Requirement. The same room Potter and his little friends had conducted a secret Defense Against the Dark Arts club in a year ago. But the room was different now. Instead of having plenty of floor space and bookshelves full of books and pillows, it was bare and small. In the middle sat the wooden cabinet and a small table and chair next to it. On top the table were a stack of parchment, three quills, and a small bottle of ink. Draco stuck his hand in his pocket and groped around. He pulled out a small bag of powder and a shriveled hand before finding his long, slender wand. He pointed the wand at the cabinet and the doors flew open. Amycus, Alector, and Fenrir Greyback tumbled out.

"Finally," Amycus grumbled.

"Oh, shut up," Alector snapped. "Now, Draco," he said, turning to Draco, "you do know what to do, right?"

Draco nodded, "After I get through the guards, I create the special barrier. Then I run to whichever tower Dumbledore is on and I wait for you. Greyback will stay and make sure no one else comes. He will alert us if the Ministry of Magic comes while we are on the staircase. Once you are all here, I kill him," Draco concluded.

"And if you can not," Greyback said, barring his teeth, "I will."

Alector glowered at him, than grabbed Draco's arm. "Can you do it?"

"I-I think so," Draco said, taking a deep breath.

"Do you have the darkness powder and your Hand of Glory?"

"Yes."

"Good," Amycus said, "Before we go, let me show you something. Once you create the barrier, make sure your left sleeve is rolled up. You will only be able to get through if the Dark Mark is in clear view. And also, the Dark Mark is above the Astronomy Tower. That is where Dumbledore should go straightaway. Do you have all that?"

"Yes," Draco said again.

"Good," Alector drawled, "Let's go!"

Draco came out of the Room of Requirement first. He caught a sight of red hair and groaned inwardly. i Weasley /i . He threw a handful of Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder in the air and everything went dark. Draco groped around in his pocket for a moment before finding what he was looking for: an old shriveled hand. It was his Hand of Glory that gave light only to its holder. Using it, he led himself and the Death Eaters to lightness. Once they could see properly, they all started running down the staircases. At the bottom of the Great Staircase, they found several members of the Order of the Phoenix waiting for them.

"Draco, go!" Alector hissed, "The rest of us will stay and fight the Order."

Draco nodded and ran back up the stairs. When he reached the correct door, he opened it and started up the stone, spiral staircase.

Draco stood on top of the Astronomy Tower talking to Dumbledore. Rather, Dumbledore was talking to him. Draco was not really listening. As Dumbledore yakked on about Draco not being a killer, he was wondering about his backup. He could not kill Dumbledore until they came. Suddenly the door was thrown open. Amycus, Alector, and two other Death Eaters came in. Alector slammed the door behind him.

"Ha! Dumbledore alone and wandless," Amycus cackled. Dumbledore merely inclined his head to the Death Eater. The opened again and Fenrir Greyback limped over to join the group.

"Nice of you to wait for me," he said, scowling. Draco looked at Greyback with surprise. What was he doing here? He was supposed to guard the Entrance Hall and make sure none of the students or authorities came. And what would happen if someone from the Ministry of Magic came? Draco would be thrown in Azkaban like his father. But never mind that. Draco would kill Dumbledore and they would all report to the Dark Lord.

"Well, are you going to do it, Draco?" Alector asked. Draco nodded and raised his wand. He opened his mouth to perform the spell, but nothing came out. His arm dropped and he stood there, shaking.

"If he doesn't do it, I will," Greyback leered.

"No!" Amycus shouted, "The boy has got to do it." They all stared at Draco. Suddenly the door flew open again. Snape stood in the doorway.

"Severus, there is a problem," Amycus said, "the boy can not do it." Snape looked at Draco. He moved through the other Death Eaters impatiently. Draco hurried to move out of his way, but was not fast enough. Snape shoved him away and advanced on Dumbledore.

"Severus……. please," he pleaded, "please.…..." Snape glared down at Dumbledore. There was pure hatred etched in every line of his face. He raised his wand.

" i Avada Kedavra. /i " The spell hit Dumbledore squarely in the chest. He was illuminated in green light for a moment before being slowly thrown over the ramparts.

"Go!" Snape screamed. He grabbed Draco by the scruff of his neck and shoved him in front of the others. Draco ran down the stairs and into the Entrance Hall. He ran through the Order members and outside. He was halfway to the gates when he realized that no one was behind him. The other Death Eaters were fighting members of the Order and Snape was still coming down the stairs. Draco looked at the stairs. Snape was running down, his black hair streaming out behind him.

"Go!" Snape screamed, "Wait for me at the gates." Draco nodded and began running again. Twenty yards away from the gates he stopped. A sudden flash of light had caught his attention. The great oaf Hagrid's hut was on fire. By it's light, Draco was able to see Snape and Harry dueling. Draco leaned against a tree to wait for Snape. His blond hair was wet with sweat and falling into his eyes. Draco shoved it back as Snape came running towards him. Draco ran outside of the gates and waited for Snape.

"We must Disapparate before the Ministry comes," Snape said when he reached Draco, "Do you need assistance?" Draco nodded and Snape gripped his arm. There was the feeling of being sucked into a tube, a crack, and they were thousands of miles away from Hogwarts.

Chapter Two: The Dark Lord

Snape and Draco ran down a grassy hill and onto a deserted street.

"I thought we were supposed to go meet the Dark Lord," Draco said.

"This is where I live," Snape explained, "We are to wait here for his instructions. Rather his instructions through Wormtail," he added sourly.

Draco nodded and glanced at the street sign. Spinner's End. It sounded vaguely familiar. But from where, Draco didn't know. Anyway, this run-down place was where Snape lived? Among common, nasty Mudbloods? Draco would've expected him to live in a nicer place. Draco was shaken out of his thoughts by Snape.

"Get in here," he ordered, opening the door to a house.

Draco entered the dark house and looked around.

"Can't we have some light in here?" He complained, reaching for his wand.

"No," Snape said sharply, "Your mother and aunt should be here soon, as we're all going to meet the Dark Lord. And this time tomorrow, your father will be out of Azkaban," he added.

Draco sighed and nodded. The two groped their way to a sitting room and sat down. Snape lit a small lamp and turned it down almost all the way.

"I told Bellatrix and Narcissa to Apparate to my basement at a quarter after," Snape said, consulting a large, oddly-shaped pocket watch, "So they should be here soon," he added.

Draco nodded and glanced out the window. A moment later he spoke.

"The name Spinner's End sounds familiar," he said slowly, "I don't know how. Or where, or anything. Do you know?"

"I don't know if I am the right person to tell you, Draco," Snape said, "but I'll tell you anyway. You used to live here."

"I did? When?" He asked.

"16 years ago, as you know," Snape began, "the Dark Lord was at his full power. He was telling the Death Eaters that if they had children, they were to be given to him the day the child turned 16. Your mother became pregnant with you just after the Dark Lord decreed that. She refused to give you to him. Your father, Lucius, tried to persuade her to give you to the Dark Lord. When you were 2 years old, your parents finally came to an agreement. You would become a Death Eater when you turned 16. Last summer, on your birthday, Lucius took you to the Dark Lord. He gave you the Dark Mark and you became a Death Eater. You remember that day, I daresay?"

"Yes," Draco said.

That day, almost a year ago, came to his mind. He remembered it as though it were yesterday.

i "Draco."

Lucius's voice came through Draco's blanket of sleep.

"What" he mumbled, "I'm asleep."

"Get up, NOW!" Lucius snapped.

He yanked the covers off of Draco's bed and pulled him up.

"Get into plain, black robes and meet me downstairs in 30 minutes," he ordered.

He left and Draco, grumbling, got out of bed. He flicked his wand at his tousled hair and it immediately became its regular soft, sleek white-blond. Then he put on his robes and went downstairs. He sat down at the table and reached for the toast, which was in front of his father. He felt the sting of a slap on his hand.

"No food," Lucius said.

"Fine," Draco said defiantly.

"Don't you dare speak to me with that sort of tone."

Lucius's words bit into him, but he was silent.

10 minutes later, they had Apparated to the Dark Lord. They were not the only ones there. Draco couldn't see who was behind the masks, but he knew that the others his father had mentioned must be there. Avery. Nott. Crabbe. Goyle. Rodolphus. Rabastan. Jugson. Dolohov. Macnair. Rookwood. Mulciber. His aunt, Bellatrix. Draco's heart pounded as his father stepped into his spot of the circle. He was left in the middle. Alone, with Dark Lord. He knelt quickly before the Dark Lord and bowed his head.

"Do you," the Dark Lord began, "Draco Lucifer Malfoy, promise to be loyal to me?"

"I, Draco Lucifer Malfoy, do promise to be loyal to you, the Dark Lord," he replied.

"Do you promise to give me everything you own and become a loyal Death Eater?"

"I, Draco Lucifer Malfoy, agree to become a loyal Death Eater. Everything of mine is yours to dispose of. My wand, my body and blood, my soul. It is all yours to do with what you wish," he said.

"Good," the Dark Lord said, "Pull the left sleeve of your robe up."

Heart pounding, he did as he was told. The Dark Lord pulled his wand from his robes. He jabbed the tip of it on Draco's forearm. A green skull and serpent emerged from the tip. It swirled around Draco's arm and plunged into his forearm. And, just under the skull, were the letters D.L.M. and a tiny dragon. The letters were his initials, and the dragon was his sign. For a few moments, his arm burned. But the Dark Lord jabbed the Mark with his wand and the pain subsided.

"Draco Lucifer Malfoy," he said, "You are now a Death Eater. Rise."

And Draco stood. This was what he longed for years. Wasn't this the thing he had yearned for? Dreamed of? Wasn't this his lifelong dream? It was. But, why was Draco feeling as though he had made the wrong decision? /i 

"I remember it well, sir," Draco said, "But why does that matter?"

"Have you ever seen your father's Mark?" Snape asked.

"No, sir," he replied, suddenly slightly scared.

"Here," Snape said impatiently.

He pulled his left sleeve up and showed his Mark to Draco.

"What?" He asked, slightly confused.

"Look closely," the potions master said, "yours has your initials and sign on it. Mine does not."

"So?" Draco said, still confused.

"SO, you are obviously one of the 'promised.' One of the children that was promised to the Dark Lord."

"Ahhhh," Draco said, suddenly realizing what it meant, "That means…that the Dark Lord was always able to dispose of me."

"Yes," Snape said, " i That's /i why you had to be hidden when Lucius did something that the Dark Lord disapproved of. i That's /i why this place sounds familiar to you."

"Oh," Draco said.

Snape nodded. They were silent for a long time. Then, suddenly, the door was flung open. Two women entered: Bellatrix Lestrange and Narcissa Malfoy. Draco's aunt and mum, respectively.

"Hello, Mother," he said stiffly.

"Well," Bellatrix hissed before her sister could answer him, "have you done it? Is Dumbledore…dead?"

"Yes," Snape cut in, "Although, Draco could not bring himself to kill him. I had to do it instead."

They three adults turned towards him.

"Sorry."

The word hung in the air. Never before had Draco uttered the word 'sorry.' He was never sorry for his actions, no matter what the consequences would be. He had learned from his father, Lucius, that apologizing was a form of weakness. Yet, here he was, apologizing to Snape, Bellatrix, and Narcissa. Was he growing weaker? Or was he defying his father? Or…neither? Snape frowned slightly at him, as his mother and aunt exchanged dark looks.

"Right," Snape said, breaking the silence, "Can I offer either of you wine, ladies?"

"Well," Narcissa said, "if you insist."

"Of course," Bella added.

"Good."

Snape turned to the door and flicked his wand at it. It flew open to reveal Wormtail, crouched as though he were listening at the door.

"How many times must I tell you to stop this?" He asked coldly, his lip curling, "Go get us some of the wine, Wormtail."

Scowling deeply, Wormtail turned and hurried away. A few minutes later, he came back holding 3 goblets and a bottle of wine. Snape took everything and began pouring it. He handed one cup to Bella and the other to Narcissa. He kept his own. He raised his goblet and murmured a toast.

"To the Dark Lord."

"The Dark Lord," Bella and Narcissa echoed.

The three took sips of their wine. Bella closed her eyes briefly and drank some more. Her sister, however, put her goblet down with a sour expression. Snape set his down as well, his face expressionless and blank, as usual.

"When are we leaving?" Draco asked.

"You do know how the Dark Lord calls us to him, do you not, boy?" Bella asked.

"Of course, I do," he replied indignantly.

"There you are then," she said calmly.

"Draco," Snape began, "I must warn you: the Dark Lord will want to know immediately if you were able to kill Dumbledore. It would be best if you just tell him the truth. You are not very good at closing your mind, as of yet, and he will know if you lie to him."

"Fine," he replied, bitterly.

"Respect, Draco," the older man said, "Do you know the meaning of that word?"

Draco ignored the question and pulled his wand at it. He flicked it and another goblet appeared. He reached for the wine, but Bellatrix pulled it away from him.

"You have not met the age of which you can drink, Draco," she said, giving him a contemptuous look.

"Fine," Draco said again, sourly.

Suddenly his arm began to burn. It hurt like hell. More than being hit with the Cruciartus Curse during his fourth year. It was pain beyond belief. Draco rose to his feet, as did Snape, Bellatrix, and Narcissa. Draco hurried to Snape's side for assistance in Disapparating.

"We will see you there," Bellatrix told Snape. And with that said, she and Narcissa Disapparated. Snape gripped Draco's arm and they Disapparated as well.

From behind his mask, Draco watched his fellow Death Eaters arrive. The Dark Lord, meanwhile, sat in a chair in the middle of the circle. Once they were all assembled, he stood up.

"Well, my followers," he began, "He is dead. My arch-nemesis, Dumbledore is finally dead." The Dark Lord stopped in front of Draco. "And you killed him, did you not?" He said.

"Erm….yes, I did," Draco said, lying through his teeth. The Dark Lord stared at Draco before continuing his walking and talking.

"Fifteen years ago, when I attempted to kill Harry Potter, you all left me. Not even Lucius tried to find me," the Dark Lord continued, "but tonight, he thinks he will be honoured. He believes that he will be honoured above anyone else, for bringing up the boy that he believes killed Dumbledore. Draco Malfoy, step forward."

Draco stepped into the circle.

"Yes, my lord?" He asked, bowing at the waist.

"When I asked you if you killed Dumbledore, you said yes," the Dark Lord, walking towards him, "but you didn't kill him. You acted like the coward that you are inside. Snape had to kill him, instead of you. Why?" He demanded.

"I do not know what you are talking about," Draco replied, his heart beating twice its normal rate.

"Don't lie to me, boy!" The Dark Lord shouted as he raised his wand. He brought it down at a sharp angle and Draco felt a white-hot thing whip his face. He flew backwards and landed at the other end of the circle in a heap.

"Stand up, boy," the Dark Lord said coldly, walking towards Draco. He scrambled to his feet.

"Why did you lie to me when I asked you if you killed Dumbledore?"

Draco remained silent. And then the Cruciartus Curse hit him. He writhed and screamed in pain as the Death Eaters watched in silence. From behind her mask, Narcissa felt anger shoot through her. What right did this man have to torture her son like that? A moment later the curse was lifted. Draco lay in a heap, his tears and sweat mixing on his face. The Dark Lord advanced on him.

"You will be given a new assignment," he began, "Succeed and you will be welcomed back. Fail…" he let his voice trail away delicately. "You father will be released from Azkaban tomorrow," he continued, "He will watch you and make sure that you perform the task I set you."

Draco nodded and, with great effort, stood up. He stepped back into his spot in the circle, silently.

Chapter Three: The Assignment

And so Draco was given a new assignment: find the headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix and kill as many members as possible. Draco used an enchanted book, from his father's library, to find Nymphodora Tonks. He used the Imperious Curse on her to get her to tell him where the Order was. Then he tortured her nearly to death with the Cruciartus Curse and finally killed her with the Killing Curse. All three Unforgivable Curses, a crime that was sentenced to a lifetime in Azkaban and, after that, a one-way ticket to hell. So, several days after he killed Tonks, Draco set out to find the place. He used i Alohamora /i to open the door and sneaked into the main part of the house. When the guards, Hestia Jones and Sturgis Podmore, saw him, Draco killed them both. The commotion alerted several more members, including Kingsley Shackelbolt, Elphias Dodge, Dedalus Diggle, Remus Lupin, Bill Weasley, Fleur Weasley, and Fred Weasley. They all rushed to the hall and began dueling with Draco.

" i Expelliarmus! /i " He shouted over and over again.

Within a few moments, Elphias Dodge and Dedalus Diggle were dead, propped up by each other. The three Weasleys and the werewolf lay on the floor, dead. It was Kingsley, a fully trained Auror, against Draco, a sixteen-year-old boy who hadn't even completed school.

" i Avada Kedavra! /i " Draco yelled, but Kingsley easily deflected the spell.

"No Unforgivable Curses for you," he said, "you little Death Eater. Just like your

father, joining the Death Eaters out of fear. Out of fear of what Lord Voldemort would do to him. What's the matter? Scared to hear his name?" He added, snidely.

"You i never /i say the Dark Lord's name!" Draco yelled.

"Don't yell at me, Malfoy," the Auror snapped.

"Then don't say the Dark Lord's name," he shot back.

"Come to the right side and we can hide you for however long is necessary," Kingsley said, "We can hide you and your mother and father until it is safe. We can hide your family more completely than you can think of," he added.

Draco stopped for a moment. It was funny; Dumbledore had said the exact same thing before Snape killed him. Draco turned on his heel and marched out of the house. He turned and pointed his wand at the sky. The skull and serpent shot out of it and onto the sky. Then he Disapparated.

That night when Draco returned home, he found a nasty surprise waiting for him: his father, Lucius Malfoy. Azkaban had turned his hair gray and his eyes were colder and more penetrating than ever.

"Well, Draco," he said, "I have heard from Bella that you could not kill Dumbledore. Why?"

Draco stared at his feet.

"I was scared, I guess," he finally mumbled.

And Lucius had exploded. He raged that no Malfoy had ever been too scared to kill someone. That his son, of all people, had to be the first. That Draco, who could not kill Dumbledore, could kill other members of the Order of the Phoenix. That Draco was a stupid boy who was too scared to kill someone. That he would i never /i make a good Death Eater. As soon as he was excused, Draco went to his room. Instead of throwing and breaking things, as other boys might have done, he took out a box of letters. They were the letters from Pansy he had received during the summer. He unrolled one and began reading it.

i 24 July

Dear Draco,

I have missed you so much this summer. It's all so much different now, isn't it? You know, now that u he's /u back. Now that so many people are dying. I'm scared, Draco. I wish I could be in your arms again. When I'm with you, for some reason, I feel safer. As though nothing can hurt me. As though nothing can break us apart. I want you, Draco. I feel as though there is a disaster, just waiting to happen. Is there any way, we can meet somewhere? Perhaps, in London. If not, I will see you on the first day of term.

Love always,

Pansy Parkinson /i 

Draco re-rolled the letter and replaced it in the box. He thought it was kind of weird. It wasn't like Pansy to be so mushy. He put the box away and got out a jar of spiders. He pulled one out and dropped it on his bedroom floor. Raising his wand and gathering all of his strength, he pointed it at the spider, thinking i Avada Kedavra /i . Nothing happened, except that the spider was paralyzed. Draco said the curse again out loud and killed it. As he practiced with three other spiders, Draco realized that he could do it much easier verbally. The non-verbal spells and curses were much harder and used up more energy. Draco put the jar of spiders on his desk and collapsed on the bed. He fell asleep, as killing the spiders had drained most of his energy.

That evening, at dinner, Lucius wanted to know if Draco had told the Dark Lord that the deed was done.

"No, Father," Draco answered stiffly.

"Why not?"

"I…forgot."

Lucius glared at his son.

"And you forgot how again?" He asked coldly.

Draco shrugged. He had neither the energy nor the inclination to argue with his father.

"Draco, you will go with your father after dinner to the Dark Lord," Narcissa said.

Draco nodded. "Yes, Mother."

After dinner, Lucius and Draco Disapparated to the Dark Lord.

"Well, is it done?" The Dark Lord asked in his high, cold voice.

"Yes, my Lord," Draco said, bowing.

"And who did you kill?"

"Several members of the Order, my Lord," Draco replied, "Nymphodora Tonks, Remus Lupin, Elphias Dodge, Hestia Jones, Dedalus Diggle, Remus Lupin, Bill Weasley, Fleur Weasley, and Fred Weasley," Draco said, as he mentally counted off the number of people he had killed. The Dark Lord nodded slowly.

"You have done well," he said, "And you shall be rewarded for that."

Draco bowed. "Thank you, my lord," he said.

The Dark Lord turned to Lucius. "Tell Wormtail to bring her in," she said. Lucius left and a moment later, a dark-haired girl entered the room.

Chapter Four: The Not-so-friendly Reunion

"Hello, Draco," Pansy Parkinson said softly. Draco just stared at the girl he used to go out with.

"What are you doing here, Pansy?" He asked her; "I thought we already figured this out-" the tears forming in her eyes cut him off.

"What's wrong?" He asked, putting an arm over her shoulder.

"It's my parents," she sobbed, putting her head on his shoulder, "They've died. Been murdered, rather, by…by i him. /i "

Draco stared at her.

"I told him not to kill anyone close to you," he finally said numbly.

"Oh, shut up, Malfoy!" Pansy screamed, "Why would _he_ listen to _you_? You, a disgusting, mean, slithering, 16-year-old idiot?"

Draco stared at her. i Malfoy, he thought, since when has she called me Malfoy? /i 

"I hate you!" Pansy yelled at him. And with that, she pulled off the ring he had given her at the Yule ball and threw it on the floor at his feet. Then she ran to the door, wrenched it open and, tears streaming down her face, left. Draco just stood there, dazed. Never before in his life had he been screamed at like that. Well, his father had, but that didn't count. He sat down on the floor and cradled his head in his hands. He felt something burn his eyes and reached up. He traced one of his scars and felt anger rush through him. Every time Draco saw or touched one of his scars, he remembered how he had got them. From Potter, hitting him with a curse. From Potter, trying to curse him to hell. Anyway, Draco felt the scar and realized that it was wet.

i What the hell? /i 

Without realizing it, Draco had begun to cry. And, finally, he just let them fall over. He let all of his emotions fall out. Anger at Pansy. Embarrassment that he hadn't been able to kill Dumbledore and…and fear. Fear of his father and the Dark Lord. Fear of being arrested and thrown into Azkaban. And fear of not being able to perform the tasks the Dark Lord would set him in the future. Draco didn't know how long he sat there, but several hours later, (though it felt so much longer than that to Draco) his father came in.

"Get up, Draco," Lucius said coldly, "and stop crying."

"I'm not crying," Draco said stiffly.

"Of course not."

His father sounded as though he were amused. Draco stood up and plunged his hand into his pocket. Gripping his wand, he stared at his father. Lucius had a small smile playing around his mouth. A smile that did not reach his cold, hard gray eyes.

"Stop friggin' laughing at me!" Draco yelled.

Lucius's smile vanished and he pulled his wand out.

"You'll pay for that," he growled.

Draco yanked his wand out, as well.

" i Expelliarmus! /i " He shouted, pointing his wand at his father. Surprise flicked across the older man's face, but he managed to block the jinx. Lucius raised his wand and brought it down at a sharp angle, as though he were slicing the air. Draco felt the white-hot whip-like thing slam into his face, He crumpled to the floor and his wand clattered across the floor. He sat up and reached for it, but Lucius blasted it away. Draco lay on the floor, panting, glaring up at his father. He pounced on his wand, grabbed it and stood up. He straightened his robes and left the room to go outside. He began walking to an Underground station. Although, he despised being around Muggles, the Underground had always fascinated him. He flicked his wand in his pocket and a ticket appeared. He hurried through the turnstile and jumped on the train. Just as he sat down, it started moving. Draco leaned his head against the cold, hard glass for a moment. The he lifted it and stared at his reflection. He didn't particularly like what he saw: a pale boy with a head full of white-blond hair; cold, grey eyes glaring at himself; and, his lip curled in a sneer worthy of his father. With a sigh, he remembered a day when he was six years old. His birthday, actually.

i "Get up, boy," Lucius snapped.

"Father," the little boy said, "I'm tired. Please can I sleep?"

"No," Lucius sneered. He smacked his son.

"Ow," Draco cried, "Father, please."

Lucius yanked the thin blanket off his son's bed. He yanked the little boy up and pulled him out of the bed and into the bathroom.

"Get undressed, NOW," he ordered.

Wide awake by now, Draco began unbuttoning his top. But, he was going too slow for his father. The older man pointed his wand at him and the pajamas flew off, leaving the little boy shivering. Lucius put him in the bathtub and pointed his wand at him. Cold water flew all over Draco. He was scrubbed raw by his father who yanked him out of the tub. He thrust a set of dress robes at his son.

"Put these on," he ordered.

Still cold and wet, the boy did as he was told.

"And comb your hair," Lucius said as he left the room.

Draco picked up a comb and began combing his white-blond hair. Ten minutes later, he left the bathroom and went into the kitchen. He stopped in the doorway. Lucius was there, screaming at Narcissa.

"I am allowed to discipline my child the way I wish," he yelled.

"He's my child, as well," shouted Narcissa, " u And /u it's his birthday. You should let him sleep for once."

"Silence, woman!" he screamed. He grabbed his cloak and left the kitchen, banging into Draco. The little boy fell, but was not wrenched up again by his father. Lucius had Disapparted, leaving his son and wife in the kitchen.

"Mama," Draco said, "Why's Father upset?"

"He's mad because I think that you should be able to sleep in on your birthday," Narcissa told her son. She picked him up and he leaned his head against her shoulder.

But then, the door was flung open. Lucius was back. Draco jumped out of his mothers arms and stood in front of his father, head down.

"I have told you," he sneered at his wife, "that you are u not /u to coddle him like that." /i 

The train slowed and Draco was brought back to reality.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: well, here's chapter 2. it's a bit long and im sorry, but read and review please.**

**Disclaimer: Draco is not mine, Snape is not mine, Bella is not mine, Cissa is not mine, and the Dark Lord is not mine. They all belong to the wonderful mind of Jo Rowling, bless her.**

Snape and Draco ran down a grassy hill and onto a deserted street.

"I thought we were supposed to go meet the Dark Lord," Draco said.

"This is where I live," Snape explained, "We are to wait here for his instructions. Rather his instructions through Wormtail," he added sourly.

Draco nodded and glanced at the street sign. Spinner's End. It sounded vaguely familiar. But from where, Draco didn't know. Anyway, this run-down place was where Snape lived? Among common, nasty Mudbloods? Draco would've expected him to live in a nicer place. Draco was shaken out of his thoughts by Snape.

"Get in here," he ordered, opening the door to a house.

Draco entered the dark house and looked around.

"Can't we have some light in here?" He complained, reaching for his wand.

"No," Snape said sharply, "Your mother and aunt should be here soon, as we're all going to meet the Dark Lord. And this time tomorrow, your father will be out of Azkaban," he added.

Draco sighed and nodded. The two groped their way to a sitting room and sat down. Snape lit a small lamp and turned it down almost all the way.

"I told Bellatrix and Narcissa to Apparate to my basement at a quarter after," Snape said, consulting a large, oddly-shaped pocket watch, "So they should be here soon," he added.

Draco nodded and glanced out the window. A moment later he spoke.

"The name Spinner's End sounds familiar," he said slowly, "I don't know how. Or where, or anything. Do you know?"

"I don't know if I am the right person to tell you, Draco," Snape said, "but I'll tell you anyway. You used to live here."

"I did? When?" He asked.

"16 years ago, as you know," Snape began, "the Dark Lord was at his full power. He was telling the Death Eaters that if they had children, they were to be given to him the day the child turned 16. Your mother became pregnant with you just after the Dark Lord decreed that. She refused to give you to him. Your father, Lucius, tried to persuade her to give you to the Dark Lord. When you were 2 years old, your parents finally came to an agreement. You would become a Death Eater when you turned 16. Last summer, on your birthday, Lucius took you to the Dark Lord. He gave you the Dark Mark and you became a Death Eater. You remember that day, I daresay?"

"Yes," Draco said.

That day, almost a year ago, came to his mind. He remembered it as though it were yesterday.

_--Flashback--_

"_Draco."_

_Lucius's voice came through Draco's blanket of sleep._

"_What" he mumbled, "I'm asleep."_

"_Get up, NOW!" Lucius snapped._

_He yanked the covers off of Draco's bed and pulled him up._

"_Get into plain, black robes and meet me downstairs in 30 minutes," he ordered._

_He left and Draco, grumbling, got out of bed. He flicked his wand at his tousled hair and it immediately became its regular soft, sleek white-blond. Then he put on his robes and went downstairs. He sat down at the table and reached for the toast, which was in front of his father. He felt the sting of a slap on his hand._

"_No food," Lucius said.  
_

"_Fine," Draco said defiantly._

"_Don't you dare speak to me with that sort of tone."_

_Lucius's words bit into him, but he was silent._

_10 minutes later, they had Apparated to the Dark Lord. They were not the only ones there. Draco couldn't see who was behind the masks, but he knew that the others his father had mentioned must be there. Avery. Nott. Crabbe. Goyle. Rodolphus. Rabastan. Jugson. Dolohov. Macnair. Rookwood. Mulciber. His aunt, Bellatrix. Draco's heart pounded as his father stepped into his spot of the circle. He was left in the middle. Alone, with Dark Lord. He knelt quickly before the Dark Lord and bowed his head._

"_Do you," the Dark Lord began, "Draco Lucifer Malfoy, promise to be loyal to me?"_

"_I, Draco Lucifer Malfoy, do promise to be loyal to you, the Dark Lord," he replied._

"_Do you promise to give me everything you own and become a loyal Death Eater?" _

"_I, Draco Lucifer Malfoy, agree to become a loyal Death Eater. Everything of mine is yours to dispose of. My wand, my body and blood, my soul. It is all yours to do with what you wish," he said._

"_Good," the Dark Lord said, "Pull the left sleeve of your robe up."_

_Heart pounding, he did as he was told. The Dark Lord pulled his wand from his robes. He jabbed the tip of it on Draco's forearm. A green skull and serpent emerged from the tip. It swirled around Draco's arm and plunged into his forearm. And, just under the skull, were the letters D.L.M. and a tiny dragon. The letters were his initials, and the dragon was his sign. For a few moments, his arm burned. But the Dark Lord jabbed the Mark with his wand and the pain subsided._

"_Draco Lucifer Malfoy," he said, "You are now a Death Eater. Rise."_

_And Draco stood. This was what he longed for for years. Wasn't this the thing he had yearned for? Dreamed of? Wasn't this his lifelong dream? It was. But, why was Draco feeling as though he had made the wrong decision?_

_--End Flashback--_

"I remember it well, sir," Draco said, "But why does that matter?"

"Have you ever seen your father's Mark?" Snape asked.

"No, sir," he replied, suddenly slightly scared.

"Here," Snape said impatiently.

He pulled his left sleeve up and showed his Mark to Draco.

"What?" He asked, slightly confused.

"Look closely," the potions master said, "yours has your initials and sign on it. Mine does not."

"So?" Draco said, still confused.

"SO, you are obviously one of the 'promised.' One of the children that was promised to the Dark Lord."

"Ahhhh," Draco said, suddenly realizing what it meant, "That means…that the Dark Lord was always able to dispose of me."

"Yes," Snape said, "That's why you had to be hidden when Lucius did something that the Dark Lord disapproved of. That's why this place sounds familiar to you."

"Oh," Draco said.

Snape nodded. They were silent for a long time. Then, suddenly, the door was flung open. Two women entered: Bellatrix Lestrange and Narcissa Malfoy. Draco's aunt and mum, respectively.

"Hello, Mother," he said stiffly.

"Well," Bellatrix hissed before her sister could answer him, "have you done it? Is Dumbledore…dead?"

"Yes," Snape cut in, "Although, Draco could not bring himself to kill him. I had to do it instead."

They three adults turned towards him.

"Sorry."

The word hung in the air. Never before had Draco uttered the word 'sorry.' He was never sorry for his actions, no matter what the consequences would be. He had learned from his father, Lucius, that apologizing was a form of weakness. Yet, here he was, apologizing to Snape, Bellatrix, and Narcissa. Was he growing weaker? Or was he defying his father? Or…neither? Snape frowned slightly at him, as his mother and aunt exchanged dark looks.

"Right," Snape said, breaking the silence, "Can I offer either of you wine, ladies?"

"Well," Narcissa said, "if you insist."

"Of course," Bella added.

"Good."

Snape turned to the door and flicked his wand at it. It flew open to reveal Wormtail, crouched as though he were listening at the door.

"How many times must I tell you to stop this?" He asked coldly, his lip curling, "Go get us some of the wine, Wormtail."

Scowling deeply, Wormtail turned and hurried away. A few minutes later, he came back holding 3 goblets and a bottle of wine. Snape took everything and began pouring it. He handed one cup to Bella and the other to Narcissa. He kept his own. He raised his goblet and murmured a toast.

"To the Dark Lord."

"The Dark Lord," Bella and Narcissa echoed.

The three took sips of their wine. Bella closed her eyes briefly and drank some more. Her sister, however, put her goblet down with a sour expression. Snape set his down as well, his face expressionless and blank, as usual.

"When are we leaving?" Draco asked.

"You do know how the Dark Lord calls us to him, do you not, boy?" Bella asked.

"Of course, I do," he replied indignantly.

"There you are then," she said calmly.

"Draco," Snape began, "I must warn you: the Dark Lord will want to know immediately if you were able to kill Dumbledore. It would be best if you just tell him the truth. You are not very good at closing your mind, as of yet, and he will know if you lie to him."

"Fine," he replied, bitterly.

"Respect, Draco," the older man said, "Do you know the meaning of that word?"

Draco ignored the question and pulled his wand at it. He flicked it and another goblet appeared. He reached for the wine, but Bellatrix pulled it away from him.

"You have not met the age of which you can drink, Draco," she said, giving him a contemptuous look.

"Fine," Draco said again, sourly.

Suddenly his arm began to burn. It hurt like hell. More than being hit with the Cruciartus Curse during his fourth year. It was pain beyond belief. Draco rose to his feet, as did Snape, Bellatrix, and Narcissa. Draco hurried to Snape's side for assistance in Disapparating.

"We will see you there," Bellatrix told Snape. And with that said, she and Narcissa Disapparated. Snape gripped Draco's arm and they Disapparated as well.

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From behind his mask, Draco watched his fellow Death Eaters arrive. The Dark Lord, meanwhile, sat in a chair in the middle of the circle. Once they were all assembled, he stood up.

"Well, my followers," he began, "He is dead. My arch-nemesis, Dumbledore is finally dead." The Dark Lord stopped in front of Draco. "And you killed him, did you not?" He said.

"Erm….yes, I did," Draco said, lying through his teeth. The Dark Lord stared at him before continuing his walking and talking.

"Fifteen years ago, when I attempted to kill Harry Potter, you all left me. Not even Lucius tried to find me," the Dark Lord continued, "but tonight, he thinks he will be honored. He believes that he will be honored above anyone else, for bringing up the boy that he believes killed Dumbledore. Draco Malfoy, step forward."

Draco stepped into the circle.

"Yes, my lord?" He asked, bowing at the waist.

"When I asked you if you killed Dumbledore, you said yes," the Dark Lord, walking towards him, "but you didn't kill him. You acted like the coward that you are inside. Snape had to kill him, instead of you. Why?" He demanded.

"I do not know what you are talking about," Draco replied, his heart beating twice its normal rate.

"Don't lie to me, boy!" The Dark Lord shouted as he raised his wand.

He brought it down at a sharp angle and Draco felt a white-hot thing whip his face. He flew backwards and landed at the other end of the circle in a heap.

"Stand up, boy," the Dark Lord said coldly, walking towards Draco. He scrambled to his feet.

"Why did you lie to me when I asked you if you killed Dumbledore?"

Draco remained silent. And then the Cruciartus Curse hit him. He writhed and screamed in pain as the Death Eaters watched in silence. From behind her mask, Narcissa felt anger shoot through her. What right did this man have to torture her son like that? A moment later the curse was lifted. Draco lay in a heap, his tears and sweat mixing on his face. The Dark Lord advanced on him.

"You will be given a new assignment," he began, "Succeed and you will be welcomed back. Fail…" he let his voice trail away delicately. "You father will be released from Azkaban tomorrow," he continued, "He will watch you and make sure that you perform the task I set you."

Draco nodded and, with great effort, stood up. He stepped back into his spot in the circle, silently.

**A/N: again, please review!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: This isn't my best chapter, but review anyway. Constructive criticism is always good. And, um, to everyone who's been following the story, i wanna say thanks! Um, I could use a good beta so if anyone wants to help me with the later chapters, e-mail me and I'll get back to you ASAP. anywho, enjoy, and please, please, PLEASE review!**

**Disclaimer: Again, Draco isn't mine. Neither are Lucius, Narcissa, the Dark Lord, and the members of the Order.**

And so Draco was given a new assignment: find the headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix and kill as many members as possible. Draco used an enchanted book, from his father's library, to find Nymphodora Tonks. He used the Imperious Curse on her to get her to tell him where the Order was. Then he tortured her nearly to death with the Cruciartus Curse and finally killed her with the Killing Curse. All three Unforgivable Curses, a crime that was sentenced to a lifetime in Azkaban and, after that, a one-way ticket to hell. So, several days after he killed Tonks, Draco set out to find the place. He used _Alohamora_ to open the door and sneaked into the main part of the house. When the guards, Hestia Jones and Sturgis Podmore, saw him, Draco killed them both. The commotion alerted several more members, including Kingsley Shackelbolt, Elphias Dodge, Dedalus Diggle, Remus Lupin, Bill Weasley, Fleur Weasley, and Fred Weasley. They all rushed to the hall and began dueling with Draco.

"_Expelliarmus!_" He shouted over and over again.

Within a few moments, Elphias Dodge and Dedalus Diggle were dead, propped up by each other. The three Weasleys and the werewolf lay on the floor, dead. It was Kingsley, a fully trained Auror, against Draco, a sixteen-year-old boy who hadn't even completed school.

"_Avada Kedavra!_" Draco yelled, but Kingsley easily deflected the spell.

"No Unforgivable Curses for you," he said, "you little Death Eater. Just like your

father, joining the Death Eaters out of fear. Out of fear of what Lord Voldemort would do to him. What's the matter? Scared to hear his name?" He added snidely.

"You _never_ say the Dark Lord's name!" Draco yelled.

"Don't yell at me, Malfoy," the Auror snapped.

"Then don't say the Dark Lord's name," he shot back.

"Come to the right side and we can hide you for however long is necessary," Kingsley said, "We can hide you and your mother and father until it is safe. We can hide your family more completely than you can think of," he added.

Draco stopped for a moment. It was funny; Dumbledore had said the exact same thing before Snape killed him. Draco turned on his heel and marched out of the house. He turned and pointed his wand at the sky. The skull and serpent shot out of it and onto the sky. Then he Disapparated.

That night when Draco returned home, he found a nasty surprise waiting for him: his father, Lucius Malfoy. Azkaban had turned his hair gray and his eyes were colder and more penetrating than ever.

"Well, Draco," he said, "I have heard from Bella that you could not kill Dumbledore. Why?"

Draco stared at his feet.

"I was scared, I guess," he finally mumbled.

And Lucius had exploded. He raged that no Malfoy had ever been too scared to kill someone. That his son, of all people, had to be the first. That Draco, who could not kill Dumbledore, could kill other members of the Order of the Phoenix. That Draco was a stupid boy who was too scared to kill someone. That he would _never_ make a good Death Eater. As soon as he was excused, Draco went to his room. Instead of throwing and breaking things, as other boys might have done, he took out a box of letters. They were the letters from Pansy he had received during the summer. He unrolled one and began reading it.

_24 July_

_Dear Draco,_

_I have missed you so much this summer. It's all so much different now, isn't it? You know, now that he's back. Now that so many people are dying. I'm scared, Draco. I wish I could be in your arms again. When I'm with you, for some reason, I feel safer. As though nothing can hurt me. As though nothing can break us apart. I want you, Draco. I feel as though there is a disaster, just waiting to happen. Is there any way, we can meet somewhere? Perhaps in London. If not, I will see you on the first day of term._

_Love always,_

_Pansy Parkinson_

Draco re-rolled the letter and replaced it in the box. He thought it was kind of weird. It wasn't like Pansy to be so mushy. He put the box away and got out a jar of spiders. He pulled one out and dropped it on his bedroom floor. Raising his wand and gathering all of his strength, he pointed it at the spider, thinking _Avada Kedavra_. Nothing happened, except that the spider was paralyzed. Draco said the curse again out loud and killed it. As he practiced with three other spiders, Draco realized that he could do it much easier verbally. The non-verbal spells and curses were much harder and used up more energy. Draco put the jar of spiders on his desk and collapsed on the bed. He fell asleep, as killing the spiders had drained most of his energy.

That evening, at dinner, Lucius wanted to know if Draco had told the Dark Lord that the deed was done.

"No, Father," Draco answered stiffly.

"Why not?"

"I…forgot."

Lucius glared at his son.

"And you forgot how again?" He asked coldly.

Draco shrugged. He had neither the energy nor the inclination to argue with his father.

"Draco, you will go with your father after dinner to the Dark Lord," Narcissa said.

Draco nodded.

"Yes, Mother."

After dinner, Lucius and Draco Disapparated to the Dark Lord.

"Well, is it done?" The Dark Lord asked in his high, cold voice.

"Yes, my Lord," Draco said, bowing.

"And who did you kill?"

"Several members of the Order, my Lord," Draco replied, "Nymphodora Tonks, Remus Lupin, Elphias Dodge, Hestia Jones, Dedalus Diggle, Remus Lupin, Bill Weasley, Fleur Weasley, and Fred Weasley," Draco said, as he mentally counted off the number of people he had killed. The Dark Lord nodded slowly.

"You have done well," he said, "And you shall be rewarded for that."

Draco bowed. "Thank you, my lord," he said.

The Dark Lord turned to Lucius. "Tell Wormtail to bring her in," she said. Lucius left and a moment later, a dark-haired girl entered the room.


End file.
